James Segan KC

James is recognised as a leading advocate in a total of nine practice areas by Chambers and Partners UK, Chambers Global, Legal 500, JUVE Patent Rankings and Who’s Who Legal.  He was recently named one of the "Hot 100" lawyers in the UK in 2023 by The Lawyer magazine. Appointed to Queen's Counsel in March 2020 at the age of just 38, he has argued cases at all levels of the judicial hierarchy, including in the UK Supreme Court.

He is regularly instructed in some of the largest litigation in the UK, including numerous of The Lawyer's Top 20 cases of recent years (such as Jane Street v London Metal Exchange (cancellation of nickel contracts in March 2022); ENRC v SFO (a closely-followed 47-day Commercial Court trial in 2021); Canary Wharf v European Medicines Agency (whether Brexit had frustrated the EMA's lease); Unwired Planet & Conversant v Huawei (Supreme Court proceedings establishing the global FRAND jurisdiction); Breyer v DECC (damages claim under the HRA 1998); Tchenguiz v SFO (alleged misfeasance in public office); Autostore v Ocado (foreign law on confidentiality); and SFO v ENRC (legal professional privilege in solicitors' investigations)).  He won an award from Global Investigations Review for his advocacy in SFO v ENRC. 

He practises in regulatory, commercial and public law, with sector expertise in competition, telecoms, sport, media and entertainment, procurement and intellectual property.  Prior to taking silk, he was on the Attorney General's "A" Panel and was featured in Legal Week's “Stars at the Bar” and The Lawyer's “Rising Stars”.